Prep the rescue team: Touratech taking R NineT to Red Bull Romaniacs

Touratech is continuing to take BMW motorcycles further than the bikes were originally designed for, but its latest project might prove a little too ambitious.

Last time we saw a cool Touratech-modded Beemer, it was the R1200 GS Rambler, which hit the Internet last January. A mad mash-up of an F800 GS, R1200 R and R1200 GS, the Rambler truly pushed the limits of what many people consider possible for a 1200-class GS.

Now, Touratech has turned its attention to the R NineT. Starting today, it’s got a rider aboard a modified version of that oil-cooled flat twin, headed for the madness of Red Bull Romaniacs.

Of course, the bike’s running gear looks very different from the suspension and sneakers that come with your typical R NineT (you can see Touratech’s list of modifications here, if you can read German or want to use Google Translate). However, Red Bull Romaniacs is one of the world’s hardest off-road races, and many smaller bike’s don’t finish, even outside the time limit. How will this behemoth fare? We’re guessing that no matter what the answer is, the video footage will be spectacular.

The Canadian Motorcycle Guide

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I have a love-hate relationship with bungee cords. I lose them, or they get tangled up in a drawer or a saddlebag like King Rat. I never take Kawasaki’s advice and wear my helmet for eye protection while tying them down. One day years ago, riding my motorcycle on the interstate near San Jose with a passenger and almost 20 separate bungees pinning our massive clump of luggage in place, one of the cords snapped that was being used as an anchor for several other cords, and half our stuff went all over the asphalt. That taught me to tie things independently but even so, I still lash luggage to the back with a network of taut bungees, and can never remember how I did it for the next day.
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